Break A Leg, But Not The Strike Line

Break A Leg, But Not The Strike Line

A suggestion for fans and viewers. Another way to support the WGA & SAG-AFTRA strike (and really, other guilds that surround the arts) is to check out your local art scene wherever you live if you haven't yet done so. A lot of talent from coast to coast in towns and cities small and large have theater productions of all types, independent productions (including cinema), children's theater, dance, and so on.

It is where the spark may be turned into a flame! From behind the scenes with sets, costumes, the list goes on and on. Watch, volunteer, have a blast, art is for you!

*I should add that I know stage production is different, but I'm going to plug all of it because writers/actors/costumers/ etc all get started someway, somehow, somewhere, and why not celebrate human creativity wherever and whoever you are?!

Studio Sour Grapes

83 years ago, 20th Century Studios (now 20th Century Fox) released the masterpiece, Grapes Of Wrath, based upon the best selling novel by *John Steinbeck. Here is a reminder that the struggle for labor, for content creators, for artists, for writers, for all of us to be seen and valued as human has been a long one. Outright slavery was replaced with other institutions and legal methods designed to marginalize and control specific groups and socioeconomic classes and further divide labor based on race, gender, etc. Those in the arts who tried to call attention to this never ending struggle were (and in some cases still are) labeled with slurs, blacklists, and so on.

The point I am trying to make is that while highlighting the experiences of a downtrodden group of people resulted in some absolutely fantastic written, filmed, acted, and directed artistic endeavors, those endeavors resulted from the hardship and plight of ordinary people and their situation was the result of the greed and antipathy of the 'corporate' owners. Across a multitude of industries and types of labor, the many have been at the mercy of the few. It's easy to vilify the highest paid celebrities and writers in order to sow division and obfuscate the reality for most workers in America, whether within the art industry itself or any other form of labor.

The producers and owners have tried to say that the grapes are sour, that the writers don't make good wine, that the actors have plenty of money to pay for healthcare (not true), and so on.

Don't believe them: feed them the grapes of wrath. Feed them the truth.

*Without getting into the weeds regarding the controversy surrounding Steinbeck's novel & the novel by Sanora Babb's Whose Names Are Unknown (do look it up on wiki; fascinating story), it serves as a tale and backdrop for some of the current topics being discussed right now with respect to appropriation, equal pay, gender, as well as the name, image, and likeness.

Still one of the best impromptu 8th grade graduation speeches ever and in a movie that was a pleasure to view. Funny, poignant, and with some heartfelt scenes.

My son believes in grand romantic gestures. He believes in the existence of one’s soulmate. And it’s easy to just look at a 13-year-old and say: “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You are wrong.” But I’m not so sure.

Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) dir. Glenn Ficarra & John Requa

I've never placed any original work on AO3, but you've given me the idea that perhaps the website should be flooded with original stories about studio executives slimeballs and some of the actions they've undertaken to avoid paying fair wages for labor, and so on. Don't have to cross the line to be creative and blow off steam. You can still hide it behind the registered user lockscreen.

Don't break the strike, break the shoddy practices that lead to treating humans as less than.

Just gonna throw out the idea that if you write original fiction and post it on AO3, you might want to hide it behind registered users only while the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are on. The studios are going to start looking for ANYTHING they can develop; original stuff they can access and tweak and not have to pay for? Even better.

It's also worth noting that if someone engages in strike-breaking practices while a strike is on and they are NOT a guildmember, my understanding is that you will be banned from future membership. So some studio slimeball wants to develop your thing and have you write the script right now? Sounds awesome! But you will never be able to join the WGA.

That is "otterly" adorable! Lovely story, too.

Congratulations on the wedding; best wishes for many years of happiness together!

Also, obligatory Benedict Cumberbatch otter pic because why not?

I need to show y'all my favorite wedding gift (that's not the bidet)

My friend started making stuffed animals when his wife was pregnant as a way to cope with the stress. Now he makes them for friends and he made me an Otter 🥹😭

Thank you for the tag @sincericida

Last song: Yellow by Cold Play; on loop to set a mood for a piece I was working on.

Currently watching: I have a queue of movies but have too much going on work related so behind on that. Lately, track & field because the world champs are coming up ...

Currently reading: The Sense Of An Ending by Julian Barnes; related to the upcoming We Live In Time film in that the screenwriter for the film wrote a screenplay for a film based on the Barnes' novel.

Current obsession: Just one? Oh I cannot, but probably reading and writing fanfic, getting the fall seedlings started, and working my way through my booklists of nonfandom material.

Just for fun, here's an additional two that are dessert related:

Current favorite cake: Tres Leches (because it's a family favorite and somebody has to eat it so it doesn't spoil right? Right?)

Current favorite pie: Cherry, it's always cherry.

Tagging without pressure or furrowed brows: @periprose @blooming-violets @ficthots @p3mybeloved @rancidpancakebatter

9 people you'd like to get to know better

thanks for the tag @renmackree

last song: We Didn’t Start the Fire by Fall Out Boy; I’ve been obsessed with listening to the original and then this one as basically one big song

currently watching: Re-watching Teen Wolf

currently reading: How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

current obsession: Sterek is honestly the big thing right now since nothing is really happening in any of my other fandoms. I’m extremely late to the game and have over a decade’s worth of fics to catch up on. Non-Sterek: Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker, Spideydevil, and PeterSquared (Peter2/Peter3)

tag ur it (but only if ya wanna!): @sun-ni-day, @xxgothchatonxx, @counsellormurdock, @sincericida, @reidslovely, @amazingpetey, @sunwarmed-ash, @emperorsfoot, @stilesisderekslittlespoon